What's a phrase? According to Crews, a phrase is
a 'cluster of words functioning as a single part of speech and lacking a subject-predicate
combination.' A phrase is a bunch of words without a main verb.

A. Prepositional phrase -The zebra ran to the river.

Prepositional phrases function
as adverbs or adjectives. In the example above, the propositional phrase
is an adverb because it indicates where zebra ran (adverbs indicate where,
when, why, or how). In the following example, the prepositional phrase is
an adjective because it modifies a noun:

The zebra in the river was young.

B. Infinitive phrase - The
lion's attack caused the zebra to run toward the river.

C. Participial phrase
-Running toward
the river, the zebra escaped.

D. Gerund phrase - Attacking
zebras was seldom successful.

By recognizing clauses, phrases, and other elements, you
will be better able to modify your sentences and therefore increase the your
writing's effectiveness. Note that these phrases often end in a noun, which
is called the object of the phrase.